Things found on contemporary Motorcycles, are they necessary?
I have broached something to this subject before but as the world revolves I find more and more useless gimmicks being forced on us as essential riders aids or promoted as safety arguably some are but others have jacked up the bottom line, the cost to you the customer into the stratosphere causing falling sales and more recalls and excessive warranty claims.
The picture I have included is'nt real yet but its not far off reality either the whole idea off a multi-function switch is you don't have to look at it while your riding unfortunately these days you have to as everything from ride height to suspension comfort and cruise control are all on this switch not counting the horn, indicators, High/low and maybe lights on and off thats all thats needed but all those extra's you ticked in the accessory column has wrought havoc to your simple ride out with your mates. Mike Hailwood was asked at a TT race about the opposition having 92 fork adjustments to which he answered "Well thats 91 you can have wrong" I have to agree with him adjusting fork movement at 180 mph while approaching a stone fence can have serious repercussion's and possibly shorten your life considerably.
Last week I had my Mercedes Van serviced and since I have owned it have never found out how the headlights can stay on high beam without driving with the overtaking lever held on or stopping the air-con unit working in the rear of the van which my motorcycles sometimes occupy, the owners manual is as thick as War & Peace around 900 pages and to get in to find all the different spec versions from outer Mongolia to Kazakhstan seems daunting so I waited for the annual service and asked the technician, thats how it is and the daylight saving setting twice a year drives me mad. There are heaps of buttons in the cabin which I have never been game to touch in fear that they will lead to a path of the unknown.
Getting back to Two wheels the reason nostalgia is popular with motorcycle manufacturers is old farts are bucking the trend and harking back to simpler times with less gimmicks and weight, seeing the majority of western culture that buy motorcycles for a leisure vehicle and not utilitarian transport are the buyers these days it's a quandary the manufacturer find difficult to produce because replica bikes are heavier & to meet current regulations things like the new BSA 650 Gold Star are heavier than the original, slower as a result even know its 150cc larger and only 2 hp more! This of course and the fact that parts are dearer than the original and it costs $800 in annual rego makes the old model costs at $82 on over 25 year eligible for a club permit scheme much more desirable and it retains a reasonable price unlike the later versions, read similar for new Royal Oilfield or the Hinkley (Thai-umph's)Triumph.
Of course later fuel injected, ABS liquid cooled, alloy framed, plastic, digital motorcycles are better than a analogue motorcycle you can adjust, repair, polish, upgrade, tinker, modify exhausts, non engine management lighted steel and chrome but you know what the world of 2 wheels seemed to rapidly grind to a halt about the turn of this 21st Century for me and I'm happy about that.
Phil Pilgrim 2026